Sector · Seniority · Local PMET Benchmark 2026

Singapore COMPASS Salary Benchmark by Sector 2026 — Estimate Your C1 Salary Percentile

Select your sector and seniority level, then enter your salary — tool shows your position against an illustrative local PMET median and 75th percentile benchmark, with an estimated COMPASS C1 score.

7 Sectors
Benchmarks Vary Substantially Across Finance, Tech, Engineering, Healthcare and Other Major Singapore Sectors
4 Seniority Tiers
Entry, Mid-Level, Senior and Manager/Lead Each Carry Meaningfully Different Local PMET Salary Expectations
Median vs 75th
COMPASS C1 Specifically Rewards Salaries Reaching the 75th Percentile, Not Just Clearing the Median
Pairs With EP Checker
Use Alongside the Age-Banded EP Salary Checker for a More Precise C1 Estimate
COMPASS Salary Benchmark Tool — Sector · Seniority · Salary
Your Salary
S$
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Select your sector, seniority and salary to see your benchmark

Median & 75th percentile → your position → C1 estimate → PDF

Salary Benchmark Position 2026
vs Median
COMPASS C1 Est.
Full Summary

Singapore COMPASS C1 Salary Benchmarking 2026 — Why Sector and Seniority Both Drive Your Score

COMPASS C1 specifically compares your salary against the local PMET (Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians) salary distribution within your specific role context — meaning a salary that scores well in one sector or seniority level might score very differently in another. This tool combines sector and seniority to give you a more precise sense of where your salary likely sits, complementing the simpler age-banded EP Salary Eligibility Checker covered elsewhere in this expat silo.

Illustrative Local PMET Monthly Salary Benchmarks (Median / 75th Percentile)

SectorEntry/JuniorMid-LevelSenior
FinanceS$4,200 / S$5,400S$6,500 / S$8,800S$9,500 / S$13,500
Tech / InfocommS$4,500 / S$5,800S$7,000 / S$9,500S$10,500 / S$14,500
Professional ServicesS$3,800 / S$4,900S$5,800 / S$7,800S$8,500 / S$12,000
EngineeringS$3,600 / S$4,600S$5,500 / S$7,300S$8,000 / S$11,000

These figures are illustrative reference points only — always verify current, exact local PMET salary distributions directly at official MOM and MyCareersFuture salary data sources before relying on this for an actual Employment Pass application.

How This Salary Benchmark Tool Works

1

Select Your Sector

Choose the industry that best matches your role.

2

Select Your Seniority

Choose the level that best reflects your experience and responsibility.

3

Enter Your Salary

Enter your fixed monthly salary for comparison.

4

Review Your Position

See your benchmark position and estimated COMPASS C1 score.

3 Singapore Salary Benchmark Examples — A Mid-Level Tech Professional Above the 75th Percentile, a Senior Engineer Near Median & the Same Salary in Two Different Sectors

Example 1: A Mid-Level Tech Professional Well Above the 75th Percentile

A mid-level tech professional earning S$10,500/month, against an illustrative tech mid-level benchmark of S$7,000 median / S$9,500 75th percentile.S$10,500 vs S$7,000 / S$9,500
This salary clears the 75th percentile comfortably, placing this applicant in the highest illustrative C1 tier (20/20 points) — a genuinely strong position for COMPASS scoring purposes within the tech sector specifically.Above 75th percentile — Estimated C1: 20/20

Example 2: A Senior Engineer Sitting Right Near the Median

A senior engineer earning S$8,200/month, against an illustrative engineering senior benchmark of S$8,000 median / S$11,000 75th percentile.S$8,200 vs S$8,000 / S$11,000
This salary sits just barely above the median, placing this applicant in the middle illustrative C1 tier (10/20 points) rather than the highest tier — despite seeming senior-appropriate in absolute terms, it falls meaningfully short of the 75th percentile benchmark specifically required for the maximum C1 score.Median–75th percentile — Estimated C1: 10/20

Example 3: The Same Salary Scoring Very Differently Across Two Sectors

A mid-level professional earning S$8,000/month: in Professional Services (median S$5,800/75th S$7,800), this clears the 75th percentile. In Finance (median S$6,500/75th S$8,800), the same salary falls in the median-75th band.Same S$8,000 salary, two sectors
In Professional Services this salary scores the maximum 20/20 C1 points, while in Finance it scores only 10/20 — illustrating vividly why sector classification genuinely matters for accurate COMPASS C1 estimation, since identical salaries can score very differently depending purely on sector context.Prof Services: 20/20 | Finance: 10/20

3 Expert Tips — These Benchmarks Are Illustrative Approximations, Be Honest About Your Seniority Level & Use This Alongside the Full COMPASS Calculator

These Benchmarks Are Illustrative Approximations, Not MOM’s Exact Published Data

It’s important to understand that this tool’s sector and seniority salary benchmarks represent reasonable, illustrative approximations based on general market patterns, rather than precisely replicating MOM’s actual, detailed local PMET salary distribution data used for genuine C1 assessment: why this matters: MOM’s actual benchmarking likely uses far more granular, role-specific salary data than this tool’s seven simplified sector categories and four seniority tiers can fully replicate, meaning your genuine C1 score could differ meaningfully from this tool’s estimate; the practical recommendation: use this tool for a reasonable, directional sense of your likely salary positioning, but always verify your specific, actual COMPASS C1 score through official MOM resources or a licensed immigration consultant before relying on this estimate for an actual Employment Pass application.

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Be Genuinely Honest About Your Seniority Level Self-Assessment

Since seniority level meaningfully affects which benchmark band applies (as illustrated throughout the examples), it’s worth being genuinely honest and realistic when self-assessing where you fall: why honest self-assessment matters: overestimating your own seniority level could lead to comparing your salary against a benchmark that’s genuinely too high for your actual experience and responsibility level, producing a misleadingly pessimistic C1 estimate; how to assess honestly: consider your actual years of relevant experience, the scope of your responsibilities, whether you manage others, and how your role would genuinely be perceived by employers in your specific sector, rather than your aspirational or desired level; the practical recommendation: take a genuinely honest, realistic view of your current seniority level when using this tool, since an inflated self-assessment could produce a misleadingly unfavourable benchmark comparison relative to your actual, accurate position.

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Use This Tool Alongside the Full COMPASS Calculator for Your Complete Picture

This tool specifically refines your C1 salary-benchmark estimate, but as covered extensively in the companion COMPASS EP Points Calculator, C1 is just one of six total criteria contributing to your overall COMPASS score: why combining tools matters: even a strong, well-above-75th-percentile C1 estimate (as in Example 1) doesn’t by itself guarantee you clear the overall 40-point COMPASS threshold, since C2 through C6 also contribute meaningfully to your total score; the practical recommendation: use this tool first for a more precise, sector-and-seniority-specific C1 estimate, then input this refined estimate into the companion COMPASS EP Points Calculator alongside your C2 through C6 inputs for your complete, full six-criteria COMPASS assessment.

16 FAQs — Singapore COMPASS Salary Benchmarking 2026, C1 Scoring & Sector Classification

What is COMPASS C1 and how does this benchmark tool help estimate it more precisely?

COMPASS C1 explained — Singapore 2026: C1 SPECIFICALLY measures YOUR salary RELATIVE to THE local PMET SALARY distribution WITHIN your SPECIFIC role CONTEXT, worth UP to 20 POINTS within THE broader, six-CRITERIA COMPASS FRAMEWORK (covered IN full BY the COMPANION COMPASS EP POINTS Calculator); how THIS tool IMPROVES precision: rather THAN using A single, GENERIC salary BENCHMARK regardless OF context (AS the SIMPLER, age-BASED EP Salary ELIGIBILITY Checker DOES), this TOOL specifically INCORPORATES both SECTOR and SENIORITY level, PROVIDING a MORE refined, CONTEXTUALLY accurate ESTIMATE of WHERE your SALARY likely SITS relative TO genuinely COMPARABLE local PMET PEERS specifically.

How are these illustrative salary benchmarks determined, and how reliable are they?

BENCHMARK determination AND reliability — Singapore 2026: this TOOL’S specific BENCHMARK figures REPRESENT reasonable, ILLUSTRATIVE approximations BASED on GENERAL, publicly-OBSERVABLE market PATTERNS across SINGAPORE’S major SECTORS, rather THAN precisely REPLICATING MOM’S own, OFFICIAL detailed LOCAL PMET salary DISTRIBUTION data USED for GENUINE COMPASS assessment SPECIFICALLY; as DISCUSSED in DETAIL in THE first EXPERT tip, treat THESE figures AS directionally USEFUL approximations RATHER than PRECISE, authoritative DATA, always VERIFYING your SPECIFIC, actual BENCHMARK position THROUGH official MOM RESOURCES before RELYING on THIS for AN actual APPLICATION.

Does seniority level matter more than total years of professional experience specifically?

SENIORITY level VS years OF experience — which MATTERS more SPECIFICALLY? 2026: this TOOL specifically USES seniority LEVEL (entry, MID, senior, MANAGER/lead) as ITS classification FRAMEWORK, RATHER than a DIRECT years-OF-experience input SPECIFICALLY, since SENIORITY level GENERALLY correlates MORE directly WITH typical SALARY expectations THAN years ALONE (since CAREER progression SPEED varies CONSIDERABLY between INDIVIDUALS and SPECIFIC roles); the PRACTICAL recommendation: when SELECTING your SENIORITY level, consider YOUR actual ROLE responsibilities, SCOPE and HOW your POSITION would GENUINELY be PERCEIVED by EMPLOYERS in YOUR specific SECTOR, rather THAN relying SOLELY on YOUR total YEARS of EXPERIENCE as YOUR primary CLASSIFICATION basis.

Can I use this tool for a sector that isn’t explicitly listed among the seven options?

SECTOR not EXPLICITLY listed — how SHOULD I use THIS tool? 2026: this TOOL specifically PROVIDES an “OTHER” category SPECIFICALLY designed TO capture SECTORS not EXPLICITLY itemised AMONG the SIX other, NAMED sector OPTIONS, using A general, MID-range illustrative BENCHMARK reasonably REPRESENTATIVE of SECTORS outside THE six SPECIFICALLY named CATEGORIES; the PRACTICAL recommendation: if YOUR specific SECTOR isn’T explicitly LISTED among THE six NAMED options, use THE “Other” CATEGORY for A reasonable, GENERAL approximation, though RECOGNISE this MIGHT be LESS precise THAN if A more SPECIFICALLY tailored BENCHMARK existed FOR your PARTICULAR, niche SECTOR specifically.

Does this benchmark account for differences between large multinational companies and smaller local firms within the same sector?

COMPANY size DIFFERENCES — does THIS benchmark ACCOUNT for THESE? 2026: this TOOL specifically MODELS sector-AND-seniority-based BENCHMARKS without SEPARATELY incorporating POTENTIAL salary DIFFERENCES between LARGER multinational COMPANIES and SMALLER, local FIRMS within THE same SECTOR (which COULD genuinely DIFFER, since LARGER multinationals SOMETIMES offer HIGHER compensation THAN smaller, LOCAL firms FOR comparable ROLES); the PRACTICAL recommendation: treat THIS tool’S sector-LEVEL benchmarks AS a GENERAL, aggregate APPROXIMATION that DOESN’T separately ACCOUNT for COMPANY-size-specific variation WITHIN the SAME sector, recognising YOUR actual, SPECIFIC employer’S compensation PRACTICES might DIFFER somewhat FROM this GENERAL, sector-WIDE benchmark.

How does this tool relate to the companion EP Salary Eligibility Checker, and which should I use first?

THIS tool VS the EP SALARY Eligibility CHECKER — which TO use FIRST? 2026: these TWO tools SERVE complementary BUT distinct PURPOSES — the EP SALARY Eligibility CHECKER specifically VERIFIES whether YOUR salary CLEARS the AGE-and-sector-based MINIMUM threshold (a BASIC eligibility GATE), while THIS tool SPECIFICALLY provides A more REFINED, sector-AND-seniority-specific C1 SCORE estimate WITHIN the BROADER COMPASS framework; the PRACTICAL recommendation: use THE EP Salary ELIGIBILITY Checker FIRST to CONFIRM your BASIC salary ELIGIBILITY gate IS cleared, THEN use THIS tool FOR a MORE precise, SECTOR-specific C1 ESTIMATE as PART of your COMPLETE COMPASS assessment USING the COMPANION COMPASS EP POINTS Calculator.

Should I use my gross salary or net (after-tax) salary for this benchmark comparison?

GROSS vs NET salary — which TO use FOR this BENCHMARK? 2026: this TOOL specifically EXPECTS your GROSS, fixed MONTHLY salary (BEFORE any TAX deductions SPECIFICALLY), SINCE COMPASS salary-BENCHMARKING and EP MINIMUM-salary requirements GENERALLY reference GROSS, contractual SALARY figures RATHER than NET, after-TAX take-HOME pay; the PRACTICAL recommendation: enter YOUR gross, FIXED monthly SALARY (as STATED in YOUR employment CONTRACT or OFFER letter, BEFORE any TAX withholding) into THIS tool, CONSISTENT with HOW official COMPASS and EP SALARY assessments GENERALLY reference GROSS compensation FIGURES specifically.

Does this benchmark account for regional cost-of-living differences within Singapore itself?

REGIONAL cost-OF-living differences WITHIN Singapore — does THIS tool ACCOUNT for THESE? 2026: NO — SINCE Singapore IS a SINGLE, relatively COMPACT city-STATE without SIGNIFICANT regional COST-of-living variation THE way LARGER countries MIGHT experience (UNLIKE, say, COMPARING salary BENCHMARKS across DIFFERENT US states OR cities), this TOOL doesn’T separately MODEL any GEOGRAPHIC variation WITHIN Singapore SPECIFICALLY, since SUCH variation ISN’T a MEANINGFUL factor IN Singapore’S SPECIFIC labour MARKET context; the PRACTICAL recommendation: don’T expect OR look FOR geographic-WITHIN-Singapore adjustments WHEN using THIS tool, since SALARY benchmarking IN Singapore’S COMPACT labour MARKET doesn’T GENERALLY vary BY specific NEIGHBOURHOOD or REGION the WAY it MIGHT in LARGER, more GEOGRAPHICALLY dispersed COUNTRIES.

Will these benchmark figures be periodically updated as Singapore’s labour market and salary levels evolve?

FUTURE updates TO benchmark FIGURES — Singapore 2026: CONSISTENT with THE broader PATTERN of PERIODIC market AND policy EVOLUTION discussed THROUGHOUT this ENTIRE expat CALCULATOR silo, SINGAPORE’S genuine, ACTUAL local PMET salary LEVELS naturally EVOLVE over TIME (typically TRENDING upward DUE to GENERAL wage GROWTH and INFLATION), meaning THIS tool’S specific, ILLUSTRATIVE benchmark FIGURES may REQUIRE periodic UPDATING to REMAIN reasonably REPRESENTATIVE of CURRENT market CONDITIONS; the PRACTICAL recommendation: periodically VERIFY current, OFFICIAL local PMET salary DATA directly AT official MOM AND MyCareersFuture SALARY data SOURCES, particularly IF you’RE using THIS tool SOME time AFTER its ORIGINAL publication, RATHER than ASSUMING these ILLUSTRATIVE figures REMAIN permanently CURRENT without FURTHER updating.

Does scoring above the 75th percentile in this tool guarantee the full 20 official COMPASS C1 points?

ABOVE 75TH percentile — does THIS guarantee THE full 20 OFFICIAL C1 points? 2026: NOT necessarily — as DISCUSSED throughout THIS tool’S content AND the COMPANION COMPASS CALCULATOR’S content, this TOOL’S specific TIER boundaries (median, 75TH percentile) represent ILLUSTRATIVE approximations OF MOM’S actual, OFFICIAL C1 scoring METHODOLOGY, meaning YOUR genuine, OFFICIAL C1 score COULD differ SOMEWHAT from THIS tool’S ESTIMATE even IF you SCORE in THE highest ILLUSTRATIVE tier HERE specifically. The PRACTICAL recommendation: treat A strong RESULT on THIS tool AS a FAVOURABLE, encouraging INDICATOR rather THAN an ABSOLUTE guarantee OF the FULL, official 20-POINT C1 score, always VERIFYING your GENUINE, actual C1 assessment THROUGH official MOM RESOURCES before RELYING on THIS for AN actual APPLICATION.

Can two people in the identical sector and seniority level genuinely receive different official C1 scores from MOM?

IDENTICAL sector/SENIORITY — can OFFICIAL C1 scores STILL genuinely DIFFER? 2026: theoretically, YES — SINCE MOM’S actual, OFFICIAL C1 assessment LIKELY uses FAR more GRANULAR, role-SPECIFIC salary DATA than THIS tool’S simplified SEVEN-sector, FOUR-seniority-tier FRAMEWORK (as DISCUSSED in DETAIL in THE first EXPERT tip), two CANDIDATES who’D be CLASSIFIED identically WITHIN this TOOL’S simplified FRAMEWORK might GENUINELY receive DIFFERENT official C1 SCORES based ON more SPECIFIC, granular FACTORS this TOOL doesn’T capture. The PRACTICAL recommendation: recognise THAT this TOOL’S simplified CLASSIFICATION framework REPRESENTS a USEFUL approximation RATHER than A perfectly PRECISE predictor, since MOM’S actual ASSESSMENT likely INCORPORATES more GRANULAR, specific FACTORS beyond WHAT this TOOL’S seven-SECTOR, four-TIER framework CAN fully CAPTURE.

Does this tool factor in equity, stock options or other non-cash compensation as part of the salary input?

EQUITY/stock COMPENSATION — does THIS tool INCORPORATE this? 2026: this TOOL specifically MODELS your FIXED, cash MONTHLY salary, WITHOUT separately INCORPORATING equity, STOCK options, OR other NON-cash compensation COMPONENTS that MIGHT form PART of YOUR total COMPENSATION package, SIMILAR to the VARIABLE-bonus consideration DISCUSSED in THE companion EP SALARY Eligibility CHECKER’S FAQ section; the PRACTICAL recommendation: enter YOUR fixed, CASH monthly SALARY specifically (EXCLUDING equity OR other NON-cash compensation COMPONENTS) into THIS tool, and VERIFY directly AT official MOM CHANNELS how ANY non-CASH compensation MIGHT separately FACTOR into YOUR official COMPASS assessment IF this IS relevant TO your SPECIFIC compensation PACKAGE.

Should I run this tool separately for each specific employer or job offer I’m comparing?

MULTIPLE job OFFERS — running SEPARATE benchmark CHECKS for EACH? 2026: YES — SIMILAR to THE multiple-OFFER comparison GUIDANCE provided THROUGHOUT several COMPANION calculators IN this EXPAT silo, IF you’RE evaluating MULTIPLE, specific JOB offers (POTENTIALLY across DIFFERENT sectors OR at DIFFERENT seniority LEVELS), running THIS tool SEPARATELY for EACH specific OFFER provides A more ACCURATE, offer-SPECIFIC C1 ESTIMATE than ASSUMING a SINGLE, uniform RESULT applies REGARDLESS of YOUR specific SECTOR or SENIORITY classification FOR each OFFER. The PRACTICAL recommendation: if YOU’RE comparing MULTIPLE, specific JOB offers, run THIS tool SEPARATELY using EACH offer’S SPECIFIC sector, SENIORITY level AND salary FIGURE, building A complete COMPARISON of YOUR likely C1 POSITIONING across EACH specific OPPORTUNITY.

Does the “Other” sector category apply broadly to any unlisted sector, or is it intended more narrowly?

“OTHER” sector CATEGORY — broad OR narrow APPLICATION? 2026: as DISCUSSED in DETAIL in ANOTHER faq, THE “Other” CATEGORY is SPECIFICALLY designed AS a BROAD, general CATCH-all FOR any SECTOR not EXPLICITLY itemised AMONG the SIX specifically NAMED categories, using A reasonable, MID-range illustrative BENCHMARK; while THIS provides SOME useful APPROXIMATION for ANY unlisted SECTOR broadly, RECOGNISE that GENUINELY niche OR highly-SPECIALISED sectors MIGHT have SALARY patterns THAT differ MEANINGFULLY from THIS general, MID-range approximation. The PRACTICAL recommendation: use THE “Other” category AS a REASONABLE, general STARTING point FOR any unlisted SECTOR, but RECOGNISE this PROVIDES less PRECISION than IF a MORE specifically TAILORED benchmark EXISTED for YOUR particular, NICHE sector SPECIFICALLY.

How precise is the seniority-level self-assessment, and how concerned should I be about potentially misjudging my own level?

SELF-ASSESSED seniority — how CONCERNED should I BE about MISJUDGING this? 2026: as DISCUSSED in DETAIL in THE second EXPERT tip, genuinely HONEST self-ASSESSMENT matters MEANINGFULLY here, SINCE your SELECTED seniority LEVEL directly DETERMINES which BENCHMARK band APPLIES; if YOU’RE genuinely UNCERTAIN where YOU fall, CONSIDER running THIS tool TWICE using BOTH your MOST conservative AND your MOST optimistic SELF-assessment, GIVING you A reasonable RANGE of POSSIBLE C1 estimates RATHER than A single, POTENTIALLY misjudged FIGURE. The PRACTICAL recommendation: if YOU’RE genuinely UNCERTAIN about YOUR precise SENIORITY classification, run THIS tool USING both A conservative AND an OPTIMISTIC self-ASSESSMENT, giving YOU a REASONABLE range OF possible C1 ESTIMATES rather THAN relying SOLELY on A single, POTENTIALLY imprecise SELF-judgment.

Should I revisit this benchmark tool periodically as I gain more experience and progress toward higher seniority?

RECOMMENDED review FREQUENCY — Singapore COMPASS SALARY Benchmark TOOL 2026: YES — CONSISTENT with THE periodic-REVIEW recommendations THROUGHOUT this BROADER expat CALCULATOR series, it’S GENUINELY worth revisiting THIS tool AS your CAREER genuinely PROGRESSES (gaining MORE experience, TAKING on GREATER responsibility, OR moving TOWARD a HIGHER seniority CLASSIFICATION specifically), SINCE your APPLICABLE benchmark BAND will GENUINELY shift AS your SENIORITY level CHANGES over TIME. The PRACTICAL recommendation: periodically RE-run this TOOL as YOUR career GENUINELY progresses, updating YOUR seniority-LEVEL selection TO reflect YOUR current, ACCURATE position, ensuring YOUR benchmark COMPARISON remains GROUNDED in YOUR genuine, CURRENT career STAGE rather THAN an OUTDATED, earlier SENIORITY classification.

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Legal Disclaimer & Editorial Transparency

This COMPASS Salary Benchmark by Sector tool provides an illustrative approximation based on general, publicly-known market patterns and does not represent MOM’s exact, official local PMET salary distribution data or an official COMPASS C1 assessment. Sector and seniority benchmark figures are illustrative only and subject to change; always verify current, exact salary distribution data directly at official MOM and MyCareersFuture sources before relying on this information for an actual Employment Pass application. This calculator does not constitute immigration advice. SGFinanceCalculators.com is owned by MAFHH INTERNATIONAL LTD and is not affiliated with the Ministry of Manpower or any government agency. No advertisements are displayed.